As technology continues to develop and influence various sectors, senior care communities are also leveraging its advantages. Blakeford Senior Life, a senior living community based in Nashville, is one such example. The community has embraced technology to support and monitor residents’ physical activities, enhancing overall resident health and wellness.
- The community realized the utility of smart gym equipment as part of a comprehensive renovation that included a new Independent Living Wing.
- The community selected Technogym’s smart gym equipment for its ease of use and capability to prescribe exercise programming and track resident progress.
- The smart gym equipment offers a range of benefits to both residents and staff, including personalized workout programming, visual progress tracking, and data management.
- The equipment has increased gym usage by 50% in the initial months and has improved overall engagement.
Shad Morgheim, physical therapy director at Blakeford Senior Life, highlighted the importance of creating an active, resort-like lifestyle when choosing gym equipment for senior communities. This approach led to selecting Technogym’s high-end, engaging, and user-friendly equipment. However, this process also requires allocating time to train residents on the new equipment and communicating the benefits of the change.
The Technogym equipment automatically logs in a user when they swipe their apartment key fob on each machine, adjusts the settings, and offers various workout options. Staff and residents can monitor multiple workout factors using the equipment’s screens, including time, volume, range of movement, and resistance level. This monitoring process also facilitates identifying any potential decline in a resident’s fitness, prompting possible physical therapy referral.
The welcoming environment created with smart gym equipment has led senior residents, even those who have never set foot in a gym, to engage more consistently in physical activity. Morgheim stressed that “Regardless of age, anyone can benefit from exercise,” and the Technogym system facilitates this engagement in a user-friendly, non-intimidating manner.